Chronic Low Back Pain Treatment With Facet Joint Injections
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Chronic low back pain in the US is a substantial problem, with 90% of Americans dealing with back pain at some point in time. Considering that 90% of that pain goes away within 6 to 12 weeks, that means at any one point in time that 10% of the US is dealing with chronic low back pain.
How much of the time is chronic low back pain emanating from facet injury or arthritis. It's somewhere around thirty to forty percent, according to the research.
When figuring out the source of pain, an exact answer may be tough. Patient history, physical exam, and imaging may help a lot, but, the exact pain generator is not always figured out. And when it is deemed correct, it's often only partially right or wrong totally.
Diagnostic injections are usually placed into the facet joint or its nerve supply (called medial branches) to establish whether or not the facet joint is the source of pain by an Arizona pain management doctor. If the joint is where the pain is coming from, then numbing it should decrease the pain being felt. If it is not, the pain number described shouldn't change. How accurate are these diagnostic injections?
It used to be acceptable for patients to achieve 50% pain relief from diagnostic facet joint or nerve supply injections. However, numerous studies have shown that there is considerably more reliability in the diagnosis if the patient receives 80% pain relief. Some insurance companies require 80% pain relief on 2 separate occasions prior to approving a radiofrequency ablation.
One study from Pain Physician Journal recently showed that with the 80% criteria being used, after 2 years ninety percent of people maintained the same diagnosis of facet joint pain. Using 50% criteria, only half of the patients maintained facet joint syndrome as a diagnosis.
How well do facet joint nerve blocks work at a pain clinic Phoenix AZ? A number of studies have looked at the effectiveness of injections into and around the facet joints. Unfortunately, most of the studies have been small and/or not randomized. This does not mean the results are invalid, rather, the level of evidence is not as strong as what a larger study would bring.
Results for facet joint nerve blocks (medial branch blocks) have been positive, with an average of 80% pain relief lasting between five and seven months. Studies have also shown beneficial results that when the pain relief wears off, repeat injections work well, or the patient can undergo a radiofrequency neurotomy. Patients noted substantial improvements in overall health status, return to work status, functional, and psychological status.
Compared with low back surgery, facet joint nerve blocks are an extremely cost effective, low risk option for pain relief that work along with treatment from chiropractic phoenix az.

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